Entering a settlement agreement for your personal injury case may be the path of least resistance. However, sometimes this legal route may not be enough to make up for the serious bodily injuries and property damages you incurred in your accident. Continue reading to learn what circumstances make it best to settle your case and how one of the experienced Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can work to ensure you receive the maximum payout.

Under what circumstances should I settle my personal injury case?

Of note, upwards of 90 percent of personal injury cases are settled before they are taken to the Florida court. But simply because this is the most common legal route taken does not necessarily mean that you must follow it. That is, you should not settle your personal injury case unless the following circumstances are relevant to you:

  • You prefer to avoid the legal costs, time, and energy that comes with a trial.
  • You prefer the guarantee of receiving financial compensation, rather than the risk of losing a trial entirely.
  • You prefer receiving financial compensation quicker, to heal from your bodily injuries and property damages quicker.

It cannot be stressed enough that you should not decide to settle without the legal advisement of a seasoned Panama City personal injury attorney. This is because insurance companies are notorious for lowballing the amount of financial compensation they are willing to dish out. Therefore, an attorney may negotiate on your behalf for a higher payout.

Under what circumstances should I take my case to trial?

Unfortunately, an insurance company may not budge on their offered payout, even with your attorney’s tireless efforts toward negotiation. If a negotiated amount is not doable, your attorney may suggest to begin preparing your case for trial. Without further ado, you may consider foregoing a settlement and instead scheduling a trial date if the following circumstances are relevant to you:

  • You believe that you have an abundance of evidence to present to the court, which may maximize the amount of financial compensation you are awarded.
  • You believe that the defending party’s actions were also criminal offenses, so you may want to bring your case to the attention of a criminal prosecutor as well.
  • You believe that the defending party’s actions were purely negligent, so you may want the court to order punitive damages to deter them from engaging in similar conduct in the future.

Again, it must be mentioned that you cannot enter your trial proceedings without legal representation. Undoubtedly, there is a lot more to be considered with settling an injury claim. So please initiate a conversation with one of the skilled Panama City personal injury attorneys as soon as possible. Someone at Manuel & Thompson, PA is awaiting your phone call.